Saigon is quite close to Can Tho, and transportation is convenient, so if you feel like it, you can pack your backpack and travel to Can Tho on your own today with just 700k for a carefree spending.Even for just one day, there is so much to experience in Can Tho.
What’s attractive in Can Tho?
CAN THO CITY has wide streets, low-rise buildings, and is comfortable to walk around. Occasionally, you may have to wait a bit at red lights, but it’s not congested. It must be said that for a big city, the traffic is excellent!!! When in the city, we can confidently rent a motorbike and ride around. If you’re out at night, you don’t need to wear a mask, the air is very pleasant, with rivers and water surrounding the city. Green trees are abundant everywhere. At night, the lighting system is very eye-catching. At Ninh Kieu wharf, the bustling and prosperous trading scene, under the boats, the river is friendly and cool. Especially beautiful at night with the moon and tourists cruising under the water’s edge, passing under dozens of bridges across the Hau River. It’s indescribable!
Transportation to Can Tho
There are many bus companies running to Can Tho. The bus fare to Can Tho is only about 130-150,000 VND per passenger per way.I recommend choosing Phuong Trang bus company (from the Western Bus Station) with a ticket price of 130k/way (total of 260k for the round trip). The travel time from Saigon to Can Tho is about 2.5 – 3 hours, so choose a late-night trip to arrive early in the morning. There is a bus every hour. If possible, choose the 2 am to 5 am trip (very suitable and reasonable)
You can refer to the bus companies running from Saigon to Can Tho at the end of the article
Where to go in Can Tho?
When in Can Tho, you must visit the Cai Rang floating market. This is the most characteristic feature of the Mekong Delta.
When the bus stops at the Can Tho bus station, take the shuttle bus directly to Ninh Kieu wharf. Note that the shuttle bus is free, don’t fall for taxi offers as it will cost you money. I arrive at 5 am to catch the first boat to the floating market.
Boat ticket price: pay attention to this, if you charter a boat, it’s more comfortable and cheaper. There are 2 tours: the floating market tour (about 2 hours), the floating market – fruit garden visit, visit the place making Hu Tieu (4 hours, this tour starts at 7 am, still priced at 50k per person, negotiate the price, don’t get cheated)
It’s best to go on the early trip as it’s cool, the market is lively, and you can watch the sunrise, very fresh and beautiful.
What to buy at Cai Rang Floating Market
Fruits are a must-buy, they are cheap and fresh, vendors even sell from boats to tourists (mangoes, oranges, jackfruit, rambutans, milk apples, pomelos…). I bought 6kg of mangoes for 100k, each fruit is almost the size of a head.However, when buying fruits, be careful, not everything on the water is good, choose wisely and negotiate the price as usual. However, when buying fruits, be careful, not everything on the water is good, choose wisely and negotiate the price as usual.
What to eat in Can Tho:
For breakfast: try the chicken bamboo shoot noodles near Ninh Kieu wharf (not that good, and people from other places complain too). I suggest avoiding Ninh Kieu Wharf, everything is expensive there due to the high concentration of tourists
At noon: I chose to eat snakehead fish, heard everyone recommend Quan A Man, with snakehead fish. From Ninh Kieu pier, take a taxi there, it’s only a few tens of thousands. Oh (on Sundays, Quan A Man is closed).Eating snakehead fish cooked with porridge and grilled snakehead fish (delicious to the max) will make you full. Choose a portion that you can finish, it’s huge, ordering more than you can eat will be a waste. I ate 2 dishes and it cost me 380k (including drinks).
Have coffee at the 1985 café, this café has a cool vibe, dim lights, cool atmosphere, it’s decent for a nap in the afternoon. In general, when in the Mekong Delta, having coffee will not make you full but will lighten your wallet. You can check out some beautiful cafes in Can Tho at the end of the article.
Mainly move around by taxi, in 2019 there’s Grab available, my friends.
You can also check out some snacks in Can Tho if you don’t like the dishes listed at the end of the article.
What to do in Can Tho:
This one is a loss, still haven’t discovered it. But if you want, you can go on a Can Tho cruise, Ninh Kieu Cruise for dinner, take a round trip and come back. The boat trip takes about 2 hours. There are trips at 5pm, 7pm, and 8pm. Note that you have to book in advance, there’s no last-minute availability.
At around 7:30 pm, Phuong Trang car will pick you up at Ninh Kieu pier, get on the car and head back to Saigon overnight. Arrive in Saigon at 11 pm. This is a one-day trip to Can Tho from Saigon. In general, it’s quite enjoyable and refreshing. Total cost is 700,000 VND per person. If you like it, just go.
Transportation to Can Tho from Saigon
PHUONG TRANG Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: Miền Tây Bus Station from 1am-12am, Can Tho from 12:30am-11pm
- Phone: 08 38309309
MAI LINH Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: From 12am to 12am
- Phone: 08 39393939
THANH BUOI Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: Contact
- Phone: 08 38333999 – 08 38353353 – 0710 3872872
PHUONG THAO Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: 30 minutes per trip
- Phone: 08 38353495 – 08 3752163 – 0710 3765656
VIET HOANG Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: 2am to 7pm
- Phone: 08 62773959 – 0710 6291249
TUAN HUNG Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: Contact
- Phone: 08 39636363 – 0710 3769769 – 0780 3667788
KUMHO SAMCO Bus Company
- Route: Saigon – Can Tho
- Departure times: Saigon 7am to 8:30pm, Can Tho 1:30am to 5pm
- Phone: 08 35112112 – 08 38338180 – 0710 3769869
List of delicious eateries in Can Tho
- Sugarcane juice My Tho – MT 68 – Alley 6 Mau Than, Xuan Khanh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Crispy fried pig skin – Pham Ngu Lao, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Beo noodle soup Lê Lai (next to Roma milk tea) – Lê Lai, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Xiu Mai Vien Hung – 61 Vo Van Tan, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Coconut shrimp pancakes – Ngoc Ngan Pancake – Le Loi Boulevard, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (2-10pm)
- Water fern cake – 3 Le Lai, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Crab noodle soup Ngô Khang – 13 De Tham, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (3-9pm)
- Rice paper rolls, burnt rice – Mrs. Hung Rice Paper – 16 Nguyen Cu Trinh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Bun bánh cống – Cai Rang Market, Can Tho
- Squid vermicelli – 251/18 Tran Ngoc Que, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (7-11am)
- Soc Trang-style soup noodles – Alley 1 Ly Tu Trong (15k)
- Sweet soup – 1 Tran Binh Trong, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (6-9pm) (10-15k)
- Broken rice – 19/9 Truong Dinh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (6-11am) (10k)
- Mango salad – Alley 29 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, An Cu Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Sticky rice ice cream – Can Tho University Area 2, 3 Thang 2 Street, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Roasted melon seeds – 3 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho
- Sunny-side-up eggs – Lot 46, Ninh Kieu Night Market, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho (4-10pm)
List of beautiful cafes in Can Tho
- Cat cafe – 72 Nguyen Cu Trinh
- Athena’s coffee – 53-55/178 Ly Chinh Thang
- La Dolce vita coffee – 40 Tran Van Hoai
- Aunt Quynh’s drink shop – Huynh Cuong
- One Linh Tam drink shop – alley 108 Nguyen Viet Hong (30/4)
- The NEE kaffee – 142 Huynh Cuong
- Hihi onigiri coffee & milktea – 142/16b Le Binh
- Mia cafe – 30/4 & Mau Than riverside
- Sunflower coffee boho style – alley 2 Nguyen Viet Hong
- Dong hoa – alley 2 Nguyen Viet Hong
- Rin coffee – 75-77 Pham Ngoc Thach
- Bohemian corner – 6/2b 30/4 street
- Wood coffee & homestay – 95/1a Mau Than
- Britea english tea house – 142 3/2 street
- Kenshin tea yame – 45 3/2 street
- Thien Thuy coffee – 138 Nguyen Van Cu Noi Dai
- Song Ngư coffee – Mau Than riverside – 30/4
- Ma Famille – 85-87 Truong Dinh
- Yen – Ngo Quyen
- The coffee house – 30/4 & Nguyen Van Cu street
- Eny coffee & milktea – 251/20 Tran Ngoc Que
- Cafe 1985 – 138 Huynh Cuong
- Fplus coffee – 272D 30/4 street
- 36.coffeestudio – 139/105 30/4 street (Xuan Khanh riverside)
- Maika milktea coffee house – 19 -5 Mac Thien Tich
- Cafe Lotus Ninh Kieu – 2 Ba Trung Ninh Kieu wharf
- Tree cafe Song Tho – Song Hau Park
- KaféHome – 30 Phan Dinh Phung
- Brown wing garden cafe (newly opened) – 162C Tran Ngoc Que
- BOBA – 136 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh
